Leaf

Sunday, November 27, 2011

Midnight in Paris

Vincent Van Gogh - Café Terrace at Night

Once in my whole life only have I been to the movie theater a second time for the same movie.
Woody Allen's Midnight in Paris was a revelation from its very first shots.
The film opens up with amazing views of Paris during sunny and rainy days. A jazzy soundtrack makes the atmosphere chatty, casual, and intimately mundane.
I won't go into plot details, this is not a movie review. Here, I want to express my gratitude to Woody Allen for giving me the most beautifully magical moments ever watching a movie.

With Midnight in Paris, one has the impression of being projected into the charming world of an Impressionistic tale: ballrooms and trumpets, old-style cafés and Rococo merry-go-rounds, old writers, painters, and nostalgia shops.
You will be charmed by the naive sensitivity of Gil Penders (Owen Wilson); you will feel safe in the rocky strong aura of Ernest Hemingway; amused by that eccentric couple of minutes in the company of Salvador Dalì; you will fall in love with splendid Adriana (Marion Cotillard).

The film's melancholically warm and romantic dims will have you and your beloved trapped in each other's arms.

And, yes, just as New York is a "town that still exists in black and white", Woody Allen will convince you that "Paris looks better in the rain".

11 comments:

Hi Jay,Well thought out! You're so right about your last line, "Woody Allen will convince you that Paris looks better in the rain." I do agree with you. I saw this movie and I absolutely loved it. Not because it was filmed in Paris but because of the plethora of writers, poets, musicians, and painters played out in this film. There is a feeling of nostalgia that makes you yearn to be there. :-)Thank you for sharing your take on this lovely movie.P.S. I have a replica of this painting. (Yes, a cheap version) LOL!

I was interested to read this Jay - I recently saw the movie too, but I'm afraid I didn't love it as much as you. I thought the atmosphere was beautiful, but the characters disappointingly under-developed and predictable. Still...different opinions are what makes life interesting I guess!

I am actually going to Paris this Saturday, so I have been doing a bit of research. I thought you might find this article interesting - it's a top ten list of films set in Paris:

Claudia, I'm glad we share the same tastes. In the movie poster, the sky is taken from Van Gogh's "Starry Night"; I have a cheap replica of that one!

Stephanie, thanks for sharing your views. I also thinks some of the characters could have been developed a bit better. Yet, I think the movie came out splendidly because it didn't just rely on the actors, as it often happens; Woody Allen's directing was just amazing to me, the images and the composition of each single shots were actual masterpieces. In my opinion, it was a great team work, as it is the norm with Woody.

Hi, Jay! Thanks for stopping by my page and reaching out! That's so awesome of you! I'll be honest, I'm still new to blogging, I won't lie and say I love it. The pressure of wanting / needing / trying to write everyday just kills me. Yes, it's my own pressure, but I figure what's the point if you're not going to be consistent? Anywho...I am excited to "meet" another blogging actor, adn I look forward to reading your thoughts. Congrats on all your accomplishments thus far. Push on, and know you're not alone!

What an elegant description. I've never seen the movie but I sure am eager to see it now. Thank you for this! Now, all I need to do is find time to watch it between writing papers and presentations...

Jay, thank you for visiting my blog, for introducing yourself, and for connecting with me as well. I'm always eager to meet new and interesting people! It's refreshing and comforting to meet other people with similar backgrounds and interests as well.

Your blog truly is lovely, comprehensive, and informative, and your posts are extremely well written--a rarity in the blogosphere, I believe.

It's funny that you mention Umberto Eco and The Name of the Rose: Eco was in Toronto two weeks ago and one of my professors at U of T arranged an informal gathering with him at the university. I'd never read The Name of the Rose but have had it on my to-read list for years, so I purchased the book (in inglese, purtroppo; preferisco leggere libri nella lingua originale) in order to get it signed. I look forward to reading it! Thank you for the spot-on recommendation.

Good luck with and enjoy the rest of your sojourn in New York, and thanks again for connecting.

Christina, thank you for all your compliments. As long as my blog reflects my great commitment and passion to this craft, I'm content with it.

I envy you. You're so lucky to have seen Umberto Eco and had your copy of his book signed! I have read The Name of the Rose last Christmas in Italian. I won't go too far if I say that it has become one of my favorite books. One I'll read again and again.

This movie evoked so many emotions in me because it had three elements I love: European setting, writers, and time travel! I'm not crazy about Woody Allen movies but this one is so charming. I prefer sunny days to rainy ones but, you're right, I would have walked in the rain in Paris any time after watching this movie.

Hi Laura, You're absolutely right. The European setting makes all the difference. Time travel was also an amazing idea. Writing too, although it's a recurrent theme in Woody Allen's movies. I hope to have one (and only one) rainy day next time I go to Paris. I'll definitely walk in the rain, hopefully not alone, just like Gil Penders ;)Thanks for stopping by, Laura.

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About Me

WHY A BLOG ON ACTING - "CAN'T YOU SIMPLY 'ACT'?"

The purpose of this blog is to offer genuine opinions and views by a passionate and committed performer, me. It is going to be a constant work in progress; it progresses as I progress. As I write, I discover, and I write upon discovering. Acting techniques, theories, and art facts will be discussed through a series of different approaches; these will be literary, psychological, autobiographical. References will be made to the work of other actors, either notable or not, writers, directors, and performers of the arts. Cases will be drawn from my own personal experience and observation, feeling free to digress whenever the heart commands me to. My posts will open up in an almost equal level to multiple realms of creativity ranging from writing to poetry, from literature to psychology, from philosophy to music.

At the end of the day, this isn't simply going to be a blog on acting and the arts, but a blog on life. Acting and the arts in general are a smaller fragment of something broader I deal with: life.